Mechanically heated catheter

Abstract

Systems and methods for mechanically heated catheter tips are provided. The systems include, for example: a catheter body with an axial lumen; a catheter tip with at least some of the tip constructed out of a high-friction, thermally-conductive material; a friction producing plug disposed in the axial lumen of the catheter tip and constructed at least in part out of a high-friction material; a drive wire running through the axial lumen of the catheter body being connected on the proximal end to a power source and on the distal end to the friction producing plug. Methods include using the drive wire to rotationally or axially translationally move the friction producing plug within the catheter tip. The friction produced by the movement of the friction producing plug and the inner wall of the catheter tip generates heat which can be conducted outward by the thermally conductive material.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 788,773 filed on Mar. 15, 2013 entitled “Mechanically Heated Catheter,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to devices, systems and methods for heat production and delivery catheters. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods for mechanically-generated heat delivery and delivery cathetersBACKGROUNDDescription of the Related Art[0003]The application of heat (e.g., localized hyperthermia, thermal ablation, thermal coagulation, or thermal cautery) to the human body is a common therapy and has many clinical applications. Some representative applications of heat include, but are not limited to destruction of cancerous tissues, destruction or mitigation of infection, and modi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a catheter system for delivering heat to a patient. The system includes a catheter body with a hollow tip, a friction producing plug, a drive wire, and a power source. The drive wire extends through the catheter body and into the hollow tip, where it attaches to the friction producing plug. The power source provides movement to the drive wire, which causes the friction producing plug to move. The movement of the plug causes heat to be dissipated from the catheter and into the patient's body. The technical effects of this system include the ability to deliver heat to a specific area of the patient's body and to control the temperature of the heat delivery.

Problems solved by technology

The aforementioned methods have several limitations, including, in some applications, the shared shortcoming of large generator size.

Large generators are undesirable because they tend to be cumbersome to transport from bedside to bedside.

Furthermore, such generators are frequently expensive, thereby increasing the costs of patient care.

Moreover, many currently used methods of heat generation for clinical applications necessitate the use of electricity for proper operation and may suffer from poor control over the thermal temperature rise in the tissue itself.

Furthermore, it may be undesirable to pass electric currents through the body.

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